Railway switch



Se t. 21, 1937. A. SHACIKOSKI RAILWAY SWITCH Filed April 10, 1937 pointsare connected and this lever is Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Application April 10,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to railway switches and particularly to means forthrowing the switch points.

The general object of the invention is to provide a very simple andpositively operating switch in which the operating lever for the pointsextends longitudinally of the track and in which this operating lever isitself resilient so that as the points or rails wear, the lever may beshifted to an extent which will positively carry the points against therails and provide means for locking the lever in this shifted position.

Another object is to provide means whereby the pressure exerted by theresilient switch lever may be increased or decreased at will, so that ifthe space between the rails should accidently Widen or the bolts holdingthe rails to the sleepers or the points to the rails should becomeloosened, the switch operating lever may be shifted a proper distance totake up this wear or looseness.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of asection of track and the switch pointsthereof together with my improved operating means.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the means for holding the switch lever inthe thrown position of the points, the lever being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of that portion of the switch lever whichengages the rack.

Figure 4 is an underside perspective view of that portion of the switchlever shown in Figure 3.

Referring to'the drawing, A designates the main rails of the track, Bthe siding rails, and C the switch points. The switch points areconnected to the siding rails in any usual or suitable manner and bracedas usual. The switch by the bridle In, as usual, and thebridle isconnected by a link I I to the lever l2. This lever is pivoted at l3between the tie and the strap M which extends over the tie. The lever l2extends longitudinally of the track preferably formed of a sufficientlystrong but relatively thin bar of steel or other suitable metal. Theforward portion of the lever is horizontal. The strip of metal istwisted, however, at [5, so that the rear portion of the lever isdisposed with its edge upward. The lever operates over an arcuate rackdesignated generally l6, which at its middle is ofiset at IT, thisofiset portion extending parallel 1937, Serial No. 136,183 (Cl. 246-412)to the track rails A. That portion of the rack I6 which is nearest tothe track is provided with notches l8 which extend downwardly andoutwardly that is, away from the track, as shown best in Figure 2. Theouter portion of the rack away from the rails A is provided with aplurality of downwardly and inwardly extending notches l9 which extenddownward and toward the track. The lever 42, as shown in Figures 3 and4, is provided on that portion which op- 10 erates over the rack withthe two lugs 20 and 2|. These lugs extend downward and outward inopposite directions and the lugs have the same angle as the angularnotches I B and I 9, respectively. The lug 20 engages in any one of thenotches l8 while the lug 2| engages in any one of the notches I9.

The switch lever is inherently resilient, particularly as regards thatportion of the lever extending from the twist 15, so that the lever maybe sprung, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 in its plane ofmovement. By forming the lever of resilient material and providing therack N5, the lever may be always pulled to a position where the points Cwill be brought tightly against the rails A. If; in the ordinary throwof the lever, the points should not be brought tightly against therails, then the lever is pulled still further and lowered into anadvanced notch I8 or l9, as the case may be, and this will flex thelever and cause it to resiliently press or urge the points against therails. The spring pressure may be increased by forcing the handle to anadvanced position on the rack, thereby holding the switch points firmlyto the rail so that they will not move when trains pass over the points.

If the lever l2 were rigid, as is usualin switches of this kind, itwould be impossible to throw the points fully and tightly against therails if the rails spread even a slight amount or if there was any playbetween the parts. This often leads to the cars splitting a switch andthis ordinarily leads to derailment of the train. This is entirelyprevented in my construction.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a track and a switch point coacting therewith,of a lever pivoted adjacent one end, the long end of the leverconstituting a handle, the long end of the lever being resilient andyieldable in the direction of movement of the lever, and means forholding the handle end of the lever in any one of a plurality ofpositions with the handle end of the switch lever under stress.

2. The combination with rails and switch 55 points, of a switch leverpivotally mounted at the side of the track for movement in a horizontalplane, the switch lever consisting of a metallic rod having initialresilience, the rod being twisted intermediate its ends so that theforward portion of the lever is disposed with its edges in a verticalplane, the forward portion of the lever being pivotally supported andbeing operatively connected to the switch points, the rear portion ofthe lever being disposed with its edges in a horizontal plane, and anarcuate rack over which the rear portion of the lever moves, the rackhaving a plurality of notches on each side of its middle with which thehandle of the lever is adapted to engage.

3. The combination with a railway track having two rails and two switchpoints coacting therewith, of a point shifting lever pivotally mountedadjacent one end for movement in a horizontal plane, the lever at oneend being operatively connected to the points, the lever being composedof a metallic bar twisted intermediate its ends, that portion of thelever forward of the twist being disposed in a horizontal plane and thatportion of the lever rearward of the twist being disposed in a verticalplane whereby the rear portion of the lever is resiliently yieldable,and an arcuate rack over which the lever operates, the rack having twosets of notches convergently inclined downward with relation to eachother, the lever having two downwardly and outwardly extending lugs eachcoacting with one set of notches.

ANTHONY SHACIKOSKI.

